Syria

BBC News--More than 250,000 Syrians have lost their lives in four-and-a-half years of armed conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war. More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule battle each other - as well as jihadist militants from so-called Islamic State. This is the story of the civil war so far, in eight short chapters. Continue Reading.

What is at stake is nothing less than the survival and well being of a generation of innocents... The youth of Syria are losing their homes, their family members and their futures. Even after they have crossed a border to safety, they are traumatized, depressed and in need of a reason for hope. 

Join me in signing UNHCR's With Refugees petition: http://www.unhcr.org/refugeeday/petition/ In which John meets with Syrian refugees Mufak, Nada, and their five kids in Amman, Jordan, and then a few months later shortly after the family's resettlement in Rockford, Illinois. Thanks first to Mufak, Nada, their children, and their relatives for being so generous both in Amman and in the United States.